Evening Coffee: Hot Huggies Coupon

Head over to Coupons.com for a $3/1 Huggies diapers coupon. It won’t last long, the best diaper coupons never do!

Money Saving Mom explains how you can get better-than-free Children’s Benadryl at Walgreens. I am very excited about this deal because I stash Children’s Benadryl everywhere in case of emergencies.

Get a printable coupon for $1/1 Starbucks Frappucino, then wait for them to go on sale for $1.25 at Walgreens. (Note: This is not a new coupon, so if you printed it before, you may not be able to print it again.)

Get a free Geo Trax DVD from Fisher Price. (Select your country to the right above the main image and press continue to get started.) These always take a while, but they do come. My boys enjoy watching them, and since they’re not obsessive about trains, I don’t have to worry about toy demands.

Apple Sauce Easter Craft & Apple Sauce Pie Recipe from Musselman's

My kids love Musselman's apple sauce, so I readily accepted when Musselman's offered to send me some applesauce for a craft as well as to eat. I was curious about the craft, which turned out to be for Bunny Place Cards that uses apple sauce in a very non-traditional way. Here's the "recipe":

What you'll need:
1/2 cup Musselman's Apple Sauce
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons cinnamon (one 2.37 oz bottle)
glitter (optional)
white craft glue (optional)
waxed paper
bunny (or other Easter shape) cookie cutter
paint pens/glitter glue pens

Instructions
1. Stir together apple sauce and 1/2 cup cinnamon until the dough becomes soft. Knead the dough with your hands for several minutes until it holds together and is completely incorporated. If desired, add glitter while kneading for extra sparkle, and craft glue for extra strength. If the dough is too wet, add 1 tablespoon of flour and knead until the flour is completely incorporated.

2. Shape the dough into a disk and place it on a sheet of waxed paper. Place a sheet of waxed paper over the dough and roll it out to 3/4 inch thick. Use the cookie cutter to cut out bunnies or other shapes.

3. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of cinnamon on a cookie sheet and place bunnies on the sheet. Bake at 200 degrees for approximately two hours, turning bunnies periodically so they dry evenly and the edges don't curl. Brush of the excess cinnamon and air dry the bunnies overnight on cooling racks before decorating.

4. Once the bunnies are completely dry, write each guest's name with a paint or glitter glue pen and use them as place cards. You can add extra embellishments with acrylic paint, ribbons and/or fabric.

Note that these place cards are not edible.

If you're looking for something edible, I highly recommend Musselman's Apple Raisin Crumb Pie. I've adapted the recipe as follows:

Apple Sauce Raisin Crumb Pie
Serves 8

2 cups Musselman's Natural Apple Sauce
2/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup raisins
4 eggs
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 9-inch unbaked pie shell with high fluted edge

1. Combine the apple sauce and brown sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add 3 tablespoons butter and stir until melted. Stir in the raisins. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

3. In a small mixing bowl, beat the eggs and add to the apple sauce mixture. Pour the apple sauce mixture into the pie shell. Bake for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, blend the oats, sugar, cinnamon and butter until crumbly. Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top. Bake the pie for another 25 minutes, or until the top and crust are golden brown.

This pie was a huge hit at my house. I reduced the sugar from the original recipe because I thought it was a little sweet. The mixture was a tad loose, so I might add another egg the next time.

Musselman's has some printable coupons on their web site, including $1/2 42-48 oz. Apple Sauce.

Disclosure: Musselman's sent me the supplies to make the bunny place cards, but the boys and I haven't gotten to them yet and I'm not sure when we'll have time. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Morning Coffee: More free food at Ralphs this week

The Buy 8, Save $4 promo at Ralphs this week is quite excellent. I just updated this week's matchups to include free Bumble Bee tuna and free Ronzoni pasta. Keep your eyes out for tagged items, because there seems to be quite a bit more than what's in the ad.

Christian Clippers has this week's Vons/Pavilions deals, which include free Gatorade G2 (if you have any of those coupons left!) and $1 Sara Lee breads and bagels.

Christian Clippers also has this week's Stater Bros. deals, which includes 29-cent Mission Corn Tortillas.

Common Sense with Money has some additional Walgreens deals.

Get 30% off at GAP, GAP Outlet, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory Stores, and Old Navy with this printable coupon (expires 3/21). Your purchases will also benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters.

When you sign up for Hannaford Supermarkets' weekly flyer, wine or healthy living emails, you'll also be entered for a chance to win FREE groceries for a year. I'm not familiar with Hannaford, but from their store locator, it appears they're in the northeastern U.S. Links via Logical Media.

Bargaineering reminds us that American Express offers superb purchase protection.

Sweetnicks has a recipe for Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies. Oh my!


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Afternoon Coffee: Homemade Noodles Look Easy

Once a Month Mom makes noodle-making look and sound incredibly easy. I am definitely intrigued and going to try this.

Use the printable coupon for $4/1 Hungry Hungry Hippos to get the travel game cheap at Target or Walmart, where it sells for around $4.99. Note that you may have trouble finding it - my Target stopped carrying the travel version. (Via Coupon Cravings.)

Get printable coupons for $2/1 Dove Hair Care and $1.25/1 Dove Body Wash. I just printed mine and they expire 6/15, which gives us plenty of time to use them. But Common Sense with Money reports that Dove Hair Care will be free after Register Rewards in two weeks, so I'll be using the hair care coupons then. I'll keep my eyes open for a body wash deal - Dove is by far my preferred brand for my very sensitive skin.

Moms Need to Know has this week's Giant deals.

Freebies 4 Mom explains how you can get a B1G1 Physicians Formula coupon and has some rebates to go along with it.

Couponing to Disney reports that there's a new $1 coupon book at McDonald's with coupons for free kid-friendly items.

Marc Bittman suggests making oatmeal with celery (!), soy sauce and sesame oil.

A Full Cup has a list of some current commissary deals. AFC is my favorite coupon forum, and it has a great coupon database as well (registration required to use the database, but not to read most posts). Banner via Escalate Media Affiliate Network

Check out the Festival of Frugality #221, which includes my post on how The Drugstore Game has changed my shopping habits.


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Ralphs: 3/17 - 3/23/10

Note: This summary of deals is based on the ad I get in Los Angeles, where Ralphs stores double coupons up to $1 (one like coupon per transaction). I don't list all of the deals, only the good ones. If I missed any, please let us all know in the comments. You'll need a Ralphs Rewards card to get most of these deals, so I use the Rewards card price in this post and assume you have your card scanned with each transaction. In addition to the coupons listed, you can also add electronic coupons to your Ralphs Rewards card at these sites: Shortcuts.com, Cellfire.com, Softcoin and Upromise. If you give Ralphs your email address, they may also send you emails with e-coupons that are exclusive to your card. And if you bring reuseable bags, Ralphs will give you 5 Rewards points for each bag used (though you may need to remind the cashier).

There's a coupon on page 5 for 2,000 Rewards points when you transfer a prescription to Ralphs pharmacy. That works out to a $20 coupon when you get your quarterly certificate, so if you'd get a little more money if you use the $25 Rite Aid transfer coupon that's in this week's RA ad or the $30 transfer coupon that was in last week's Vons circular. (I believe all Ralphs pharmacies accept competitor coupons.)

Make sure you play the Hit the Hoops Sweepstakes because everyone seems to win something. So far I've won a $5 store credit and a Kraft cheese cubes.

The game ties into this week's Buy 8, Save $4 promo. You can see a full list of the participating products here (pdf). The following prices are for items listed in the ad; price is after promo savings:

Simply Orange Juice $2.99

Sargento Shredded Cheese or Deli Slices $1.99
Use $1/2 from 1/31 SS
Final price: $1.49 each when you buy 2

Yuban or Maxwell House Coffee $4.99

Classico Pasta Sauce $1.49
Use $1.50 off fresh beef wyb 2 Classico sauces from 3/14 SS
Final price: Varies

Mott's 100% Apple Juice 99 cents

Lean Cuisine or Stouffer's Entrees $1.69

Powerade 39 cents

2 Liter Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero 79 cents

Tostitos Tortilla Chips or Lay's Potato Chips $1.99

Nabisco Snack Crackers $1.99
Use $1/1 from 1/24 SS
Final price: 99 cents

Kellogg's Cereal or Pop-Tarts 12-ct $2.49
Use $1/3 cereal from 2/7 RP
Use $1/2 Apple Jacks, Froot Loops or Corn Pops from 3/7 RP
Use $1/2 All Bran, Frosted Mini Wheats or Raisin Bran from 3/7 RP
Use $1/2 printable
Final price: $1.99 to $2.16 (get a better deal at Target through Saturday)

Chips Ahoy Cookies $1.99

Daisy Sour Cream $1.79

International Delight Creamer or Land O Lakes Half & Half $2.49
Use $1/2 International Delight from 3/7 SS
Final price: $1.99 wyb 2

Kraft American Singles $2.49

VitaminWater 75 cents

Smart Balance Spread $1.99

Planters Peanuts or Pop-Secret Popcorn $1.99
Use $1/2 from 1/24 or 3/7 SS
Use $1.50/1 printable (when you become a Planters Facebook fan; via My Good Cents)
Final price: as low as 49 cents

Ghirardelli Brownie Mix or Krusteaz Muffin Mix $1.99

Best Foods Mayonnaise or A-1 Steak Sauce $2.49

Arrowhead Spring Water 24-pack $3.49

Del Monte or S&W Tomatoes 49 cents
Use $1/4 Del Monte tomatoes from 2/7 RP
Final price: 24 cents/can wyb 4

Coke 12-packs $4.49

Brawny Paper Towels 8-roll or 6-big roll $5.49
Use 50 cents/1 from 3/14 RP
Final price: $4.49

Air Wick Oil Refill $1.99
Use $1/2 singles from 2/7 or 3/7 SS

Lysol Household Cleaners $2.49
Use assorted coupons from 3/14 SS
Final price: Varies

Ken's Salad Dressing $1.99

American Beauty Pasta 69 cents

TRESemmé Hair Care $3.99

Dial Soap 8-pack or Softsoap Body Wash $3.99

Aquafresh Toothbrush or Toothpaste $2.49
Use $1/1 toothbrush or 75 cents/1 toothpaste from 1/3 RP
Final price: $1.49

DiGiorno or California Pizza Kitchen Pizza $3.97
There's a Catalina deal for the CPK pizzas:
Get a $1 Catalina coupon to use toward your next purchase when you buy 2
Get a $2 Catalina coupon to use toward your next purchase when you buy 3
Get a $3 Catalina coupon to use toward your next purchase when you buy 4 or more
Final Price: As low as $3.22 each

Ore-Ida Potatoes $2.49

Morning Star Farms $3.49
Use $1/1 from 2/28 SS
Final price: $2.49

TGI Friday's Appetizers $2.99

Armour Meatballs $2.99

C&W Frozen Vegetables $1.99

Poppers Appetizers $2.99

Birds Eyes Steamfresh Frozen Vegetables $1.99
Use $1/3 from 2/28 SS or 3/7 RP
Final price: $1.66 each wyb 3

Deluxe Ice Cream $1.49

Tyson Any'tizers Appetizers $2.99 (the picture looks like boxes, not bags)
Use 55 cents/1 from 1/24 or 3/7 SS
Final price: $1.99

Update: The sale seems to include quite a bit more than what's in the ad, so keep your eyes open. The following items are also included in the sale:

Bumble Bee Tuna pouches 99 cents
Use 55 cents/1 from 2/21 SS
Or use $1/5 printable
Final price: as low as FREE

Ronzoni Smart Taste or Healthy Harvest Pasta 99 cents
Use 75 cents/1 Smart Taste or $1/2 Healthy Harvest printable
Final price: as low as FREE

Coupon Deals
Oscar Mayer Sliced Bacon $2.50
Use $1.50/1 printable (may no longer be available)
Final price: $1

Cuties Tangerines 3 lb bag $2.88
Use 55 cents/1 from 3/14 SS
Final price: $1.88

Oscar Mayer Lunchables $1.69
Use 75 cents/1 Combination Subs printable if included in sale
Final price: 69 cents

Smucker's Fruit Spread $2.49
Use 25 cents/1 from 2/21 RP
Use $1 off Smuckers Fruit Spread and Jif Peanut Butter from 1/3 RP
Final price: varies

Hostess Twinkies or Cupcakes $2.50

Wonder Whole Grain or Classic Bread $2.50

Other Deals
Center Cut Pork Loin Chops $1.99/lb

Country Style Pork Strips $1.99/lb

Chicken Drumsticks or Thighs $1.19/lb

Pork Shoulder Butt Roast $1.99/lb

Tilapia or Swai Fillet $2.99/lb

Private Selection Pre-Sliced Meats and Cheeses $3.50

Fresh Express or Fresh Selections 99 cents

Braeburn, Granny Smith, Red or Golden Delicious Apples 99 cents/lb

Strawberries $2.50

Russet Potatoes 50 cents/lb

Passover Savings
Elite Chocolate Bar $1

Manischewitz Gefilte Fish $5.49

Empire Kosher Turkey $1.99/lb

Tabatchnick Soup $2

Yehuda Matzos $3.99 for 5 lbs. w/ in-ad coupon and $10 minimum purchase

Gefen Macaroons $1.50 with in-ad coupon and $10 minimum purchase

This post contains affiliate coupon links, so printing through those links supports this site at no additional cost to you. Thank you! Reach Chief Family Officer's full disclosure and disclaimer here.

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Ways To Make & Save Money: Communicate With Your Family

Every Monday, I share a way to make and/or save money, as I strive to achieve my New Year's Resolution of banking a large sum of money by year's end. You can read the rest of the series here. (Sorry this one is late - I had a crazy weekend!)

I totally believe it when I hear that financial issues can cause huge problems in family relationships because I know firsthand how important money is. One thing that helps our family tremendously is good communication about finances and goals.

Right now, it’s just Marc and me who make most of the decisions. We are really on the same page when it comes to our financial goals, and we agree on living frugally, limiting spending, and saving as much as possible. Plus, I appreciate how supportive he is of all the work I do to keep our grocery and household spending down – most weeks, he takes the boys to swim class alone so I can go grocery shopping by myself. (It’s funny how easy it is to hit five or six stores if I’m alone and how hard it is to do more than two if I’ve got the kids.) In turn, he appreciates how hard I work at saving us money while maintaining our lifestyle.

Even though our kids are young, we take advantage of opportunities to talk with them about money. Just yesterday, the boys asked for Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, which I haven’t bought recently because I haven’t been able to find it for 50 cents or less (note: that’s my target price on cereal). Of course, there’s a ton of cereal in the house, and other breakfast foods too, but not that specific variety.

I sat down and explained that we don’t have any Cinnamon Toast Crunch right now because I haven’t found any good sales. But I got an adorable plea to "Please, can you buy it anyway?" So I responded, "Sure, I can buy expensive cereal, but I won’t be able to buy you toys. Would you rather have a new toy or Cinnamon Toast Crunch?"

I could almost see the computations in their head as they processed the question. And then came the answer: "A new toy." Alex said it first, but Tyler said it too, and in a way that made it clear he wasn’t just parroting his older brother.

Here’s another example of why communication is important: I buy lots of things, but if Marc can’t find them when he needs them, he’s liable to go out and buy more stuff at a much higher price (and with good reason!). So we have designated places in the house for our stockpile – toiletries are in a closet, separated by category; paper goods are in a hall closet, although I recently stockpiled so much that there’s also a tower on the landing of the stairs; light bulbs are in the garage, etc. I also let him know what food is in the fridge/freezer/pantry, because he’s so polite and cautious about not eating anything that I might have plans for.

Of course, we talk about the big picture too – a lot. While we don’t plan regular meetings to discuss our family finances, I keep him in the loop on how we’re doing on spending, saving and any changes I think we should be making. On the rare occasion that we don’t see exactly eye-to-eye, we compromise.

The best part of all this communication is that everyone is happy, because we all know what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. And that gets us to our goals all the faster.

Morning Coffee: Get a Free Golf Club

Here's a rare offer: TaylorMade Golf is giving away 20,000 irons from their new Burner line of clubs. You have to answer several questions, and those who give the answers that TaylorMade is looking for will get a 6-iron. All others will receive a $10 off promo code for TaylorMade's webstore. As always, be sure to check the official rules before registering. (Via Swag Grabber.)

Coupons.com has some new coupons, including some great Rite Aid coupons like $3 off a $15 purchase and $2/1 Benadryl. Links via Escalate Media Affiliate Network

I monitor the coupon forums extensively, but here’s a store I’ve never heard of before: Roche Bros., which will double up to five $1/1 coupons on Tuesdays. It looks like they’re in Massachusetts – find your local store and give them a call to see if they participate in these weekly doubles.

Coupon Cravings has a great post on trading in video games. I usually sell mine on Amazon, and I had no idea that the value you can get back varies so much. It definitely pays to check more than one store!

Facebook fans of Redbox can get a code for a free rental tomorrow (3/17). (Via Bargain Briana.)

In case you needed confirmation: The LA Times says you can legally park at broken meters (but people are receiving tickets anyway).

There are currently four free Kotex sample packs available, including a new one for the new line of U products.

Common Sense with Money explains how you can make money buying Sudafed Mist this week at Walgreens if you got the right coupons in Sunday’s paper (they weren’t in the LA Times :( ).

Common Sense with Money also has some details on the upcoming Kmart doubles that may mean a special trip to Kmart won’t be worth the trouble. (It never is for me!)

Facebook fans of Ritz Crackers can get a free sample of their new product Munchables.

Here are a couple of Stride gum deals: Facebook fans get a free sample pack. Anyone can print this Buy One, Get One Free coupon (goes straight to printing). (Via Common Sense with Money.)

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week at Borders.

The Drugstore Game This Week: Starter Rite Aid Transactions 3/14 - 3/20/10

If you're new to playing The Drugstore Game, these transactions should help you get started. If you don't understand the transactions, read my Drugstore Game Primer, Common Sense with Money's FAQ, and my explanation of How to Play The Drugstore Game at Rite Aid.

You'll find a list of this week's Rite Aid deals here.

Here's my idea for this week:

Transaction #1:
1 Visine $6
2 Band Aid bandages $3.98 ($1.99 each)
1 Benadryl Cream, $3.99
1 Johnson’s Baby Care Essentials to Go Kit $3.99
1 Cortaid Cream $3.99

- $5/$25 Video Values Coupon
- $3/1 Visine in-ad coupon
- $3/1 Visine Multi-Symptom Relief printable or $3/1 Visine Product from March All You
- 2 x $1/1 Band-Aid Brand Product from 1/3 RP
- $2/1 Benadryl RA printable
- $1/1 Benadryl Product from 3/14 RP
- $1/1 Johnson’s Baby Care product in-ad coupon
- $1/1 Johnson’s Baby Product from 3/7 RP or printable
- $2/1 Cortaid Product from 1/3 RP

Pay: $1.95 + tax
Receive: You have $21.95 toward the Buy $50 of Johnson’s products, Get a $25 gift card SCR #24

Transaction #2:
1 Visine $6
1 Benadryl Cream, $3.99
1 Johnson’s Baby Care Essentials to Go Kit $3.99
1 Post Cereal $1.88
1 small filler, as close as you can get to 14 cents

- $3/$15 printable
- $3/1 Visine in-ad coupon
- $3/1 Visine Multi-Symptom Relief printable or $3/1 Visine Product from March All You
- $2/1 Benadryl RA printable
- $1/1 Benadryl Product from 3/14 RP
- $1/1 Johnson’s Baby Care product in-ad coupon
- $1/1 Johnson’s Baby Product from 3/7 RP or printable
- $2/1 Post Shredded Wheat or Grape Nuts printable

Pay: (cost of filler – 14 cents) + tax
Receive: You now have $35.93 toward the Buy $50 of Johnson’s products, Get a $25 gift card SCR #24

Transaction #3:
1 Visine $6
1 Johnson’s Baby Care Essentials to Go Kit $3.99
1 Cortaid Cream $3.99
1 Johnson's Baby Soap* (comes in pink box) $1.99

- $3/$15 printable
- $3/1 Visine in-ad coupon
- $3/1 Visine Multi-Symptom Relief printable or $3/1 Visine Product from March All You
- $1/1 Johnson’s Baby Care product in-ad coupon
- $1/1 Johnson’s Baby Product from 3/7 RP or printable
- $2/1 Cortaid Product from 1/3 RP

Pay: $2.97 + tax
Receive: $25 gift card for SCR #24

Summary: Get a $25 gift card for less than $5 + tax out of pocket, plus take all of these items home

This post contains some affiliate coupon links, so printing from those links supports this site at no additional cost to you. Read Chief Family Officer's full disclosure/disclaimer.

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Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

I had some organic chicken thighs in the freezer, so I adapted this recipe from this Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken recipe. Despite the reviews saying the meat came out dry, I found the recipe to be pretty forgiving, and the sauce thickened beautifully when I added the cornstarch. In fact, I will probably halve the cornstarch next time so the sauce is a little more runny.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
Serves 4 to 6

nonstick cooking spray
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple in juice
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup finely minced onion or 1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

1. Spray the inside of the crock with nonstick cooking spray. Add the thighs to the crock.

2. Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice. Cover the pineapple and store in refrigerator.

3. In a small bowl, combine the pineapple juice, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic and onion. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

4. Before serving, combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and stir until the cornstarch has completely dissolved. Pour the cornstarch into the crock and stir to combine. Add the reserved pineapple and heat through. Serve with rice.

Morning Coffee: Adjusting to Daylight Savings Time

The worst thing about Daylight Savings Time is the morning! We're early risers so waking up at 5 feels like waking up at 4, which is not a good feeling, to say the least. Hopefully it won't take us long to adjust to losing an hour yesterday.

Today's Ebates Daily Double store is Adobe, which is giving 10% cash back (instead of the usual 6%). So if you've been thinking about buying any of their products, today would be a good day. To learn more about Ebates, read my original review. If you sign up through my referral link, we'll both get a bonus when you make your first purchase within 30 days!

Get a free photo book from Kodak Gallery and Target by using code tgtfreebook at checkout. Offer expires 3/31; you'll have to pay shipping and handling of approximately $1.99. You can find this and more photo offers from Target in this week's ad. If you're a new customer, you can get 50 free prints when you join Kodak Gallery. (Hat tip: Christian Clippers.)

I recommend free stuff all the time, and I try to only recommend products from reputable sources that I'm fairly confident will come. Last year, one of the free items was a burrito from Evol, and as I mentioned last week, the coupon finally arrived via email. I was able to use my coupon at Whole Foods yesterday, where the burritos were on sale for $2.50. I only saw one flavor (Pork & Green Chile) but I didn't look too hard either. I plan to try it in the next week or so . . .

Growing Up Gabel explains how to make tomato sauce from scratch.

Love & Olive Oil's recipe for Mini Chocolate Cheesecake looks divine.

Mommy Snacks is giving away a $25 Kroger gift card to spread the word about Box Tops for Education. Ends 3/17.

Stretching a Buck has this week's Target deals, which include cheap Kellogg's.

All Financial Matters makes an interesting point about Berkshire Hathaway: "The bigger they grow, the harder it is for them to continue [their previous level of] growth. Each investment is a smaller and smaller piece of the pie."

Bargain Briana has this week's Meijer deals.

Rite Aid this week: 3/14 - 3/20/10

There are quite a few free and cheap items this week at Rite Aid. You can find a full roundup of this week's deals at Moms Need to Know (thanks, Mindi!). I've listed the deals that I think are the best for playing The Drugstore Game this week (starter scenarios to come later), as well as the prices that are rock-bottom in my price book.

Johnson & Johnson Rebate: Get a $25 SCR wyb $50 in participating products

Visine: prices start at $6
in-ad Rite Aid $3 coupon
$3/1 Visine Multi-Symptom Relief printable
$2/1 Select Visine Products, exp. 3-31-10 (RP #2 1/3/10)
$1/1 Visine Product, exp. 3-31-10 (RP #2 1/3/10)
$3/1 Visine Product, exp. 6-30-10 (ALL YOU Mar ‘10)
Final Cost: as low as FREE after both coupons (and before SCR)

Motrin PM, $4.99
$1/1 Motrin Product printable
$1/1 Motrin Product, exp. 3-31-10 (RP #2 1/3/10)
Final Cost: $3.99 after coupon (and before SCR)

Zyrtec, $18.99
$4/1 Zyrtec Product printable (may be regional)
$2/1 Zyrtec-D, exp. 3-31-10 (RP 12/6/09)
Final Cost: as low as $14.99 after coupon (and before SCR)

Band-Aid Bandages, $1.99
$1/1 Band-Aid Brand Product, exp. 3-31-10 (RP #2 1/3/10)
$3/2 Neosporin Product and Bandaid Product, exp. 3-31-10 (SS 02/21/10)

Neosporin, $3.99
$1/1 Neosporin Product printable (IE) or printable (FF)
$1/1 Neosporin Product, exp. 3-31-10 (RP #2 1/3/10)
$3/2 Neosporin Product and Bandaid Product, exp. 3-31-10 (SS 02/21/10)

Cortaid Cream, $3.99
$2/1 Cortaid Product, exp. 3-31-10 (RP #2 1/3/10)
Final Cost: $1.99 after coupon (and before SCR)

Benadryl Cream, $3.99
$1/1 Benadryl Product, (RP 3/14/10)
Final Cost: $2.99 after coupon (and before SCR)

Johnson’s Baby Lotion, Head-to-Toe products or Desitin, $1 off with in-ad coupon
$1/1 Johnson’s Baby Lotion printable (IE) or printable (FF)
$1/1 Johnson’s Baby Lotion or Oil printable (IE) or printable (FF)
$1/1 Johnson’s Baby Shampoo printable (IE) or printable (FF)
$1/1 Desitin Diaper Rash Cream printable
$1/1 Desitin Diaper Rash Cream printable (IE) or printable (FF)
$1/1 Johnson’s Baby Product, exp. 5-15-10 (RP 03/07/10)
$1/1 Johnson’s Baby Bath or Lotion Rite Aid Video Values coupon

Stayfree Maxi Pads, Carefree Pantiliners, or O.B. Tampons, Buy One Get One 50% off
$1/1 Carefree Ultra Protection Product printable
$1/1 Stayfree Product printable (IE) or printable (FF)
$1/2 Carefree or Ultra Protection Product, exp. 3-31 (RP #2 1/3/10)
B1G1 Stayfree Product, exp. 3-31-10 (RP #2 1/3/10)
$1/1 O.B. Product, exp. 3-31-10 (RP #2 1/3/10)

KY Yours + Mine, $14.99
$5/1 KY Yours + Mine, Intense or Intrigue, exp. 4-30 (SS 1/31/10)
Final Cost: $9.99 after coupon (and before SCR)

Monistat1 or Monistat3 or ept Pregnancy Test, $16.99
$3/1 Monistat Yeast Infection Treatment or e.p.t. Product printable
$2/1 Monistat printable (IE) or printable (FF)
$3/1 Monistat Yeast Treatment or E.P.T., exp. 6-30 (RP #2 1/3/10)
$2/1 Select Monistat Products, exp. 6-30 (RP #2 1/3/10)
Final Cost: as low as $13.99 after coupon (and before SCR)

Hershey’s, Reese’s, Nestle or Cadbury Bagged Candy (8-10 oz.), $1.99
$2/1 Hershey’s, Reese’s, or Cadbury Candy, exp. 4-4-10 (SS 03/14/10)
Final Cost: FREE after coupon

Post Cereal (select varieties), $1.88
$2/1 Post Raisin Bran, Shredded Wheat or Grape Nuts Cereal printable
1/2 Select Post Cereals, exp. 4-11-10 (SS 02/28/10)
Final Cost: as low as FREE after coupon

This post contains some affiliate coupon links. Read Chief Family Officer's full disclosure/disclaimer.

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The Drugstore Game This Week: Starter CVS Transactions 2/28 - 3/6/10

If you're new to playing The Drugstore Game, these transactions should help you get started. If you don't understand the transactions, read my Drugstore Game Primer, Common Sense with Money's FAQ, and my explanation of How to Play The Drugstore Game at CVS.

You'll find a list of this week's CVS deals here. It's kind of a slow week when it comes to rolling ECBs this week. I like this combo, though:

Transaction #1:
2 Right Guard Total Defense $2.50 each

- 2 x $1.50 Right Guard Total Defense

Pay: $2 + tax
Receive: $2 ECBs

Transaction #2:
1 CVS Green Bag Tag 99 cents
1 filler item $1.01 or more, e.g., South Beach Living Bars, $2.50

- $1/1 South Beach Living Bars, High Protein Cereal Bars or 100 Calorie Snack Bars (FF or IE)
- $2 ECB

Pay: 49 cents + tax

Have your Green Bag Tag scanned each time you bring in a reuseable bag, and you'll receive a $1 ECB every fourth visit. (Note: You can only scan it once if you're doing multiple transactions within a short time period.)

This post contains some affiliate coupon links. Read Chief Family Officer's full disclosure/disclaimer.

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CVS this week: 3/14 - 3/20/10

You can find a full roundup of this week's CVS deals at Bargain Briana (thanks, Briana!). I've listed the deals that I think are the best for playing The Drugstore Game this week (starter scenarios to come later), as well as the prices that are rock-bottom in my price book.

Right Guard Sport, Xtreme, or Dry Idea – 2/$5
Earn $2 Extra Bucks wyb 2 (Limit 1)
$1.50 Right Guard Total Defense
Final Price after Extra Bucks: FREE wyb 2 and use 2 coupons

Nature’s Bounty or Flex-a-min B1G1 FREE (Limit 6)
Prices starting at $4.99
$1/1 Natures Bounty Product, any
$2/1 Natures Bounty Vitamin/Supplement, any
$1/1 Natures Bounty Vitamins and Supplements 2/14/2010 RP Insert (exp 3/30/2010)
Final Price: as low as $0.50/each

Tropicana Pure Premium or Trop50 Orange Juice, $2.49
$1/2 Tropicana Pure Premium or Trop50 Orange Juice 59 oz or larger 2/21/2010 RP Insert (exp 4/30/2010)
Final Price: $1.99
Learn more about the Tropicana Rewards Program

South Beach Living Bars, $2.50
$1/1 South Beach Living Bars, High Protein Cereal Bars or 100 Calorie Snack Bars (FF)
$1/1 South Beach Living Bars, High Protein Cereal Bars or 100 Calorie Snack Bars (IE)
Final Price: $1.50

Dole Fruit Cups, $1.69
$0.75/2 Dole Fruit Bowls or Fruit Bowls in Gel 1/10/2010 SS Insert (exp 4/4/2010)
$0.75/2 Dole Fruit Bowls, Gels, or Parfaits February 2010 All You Magazine (exp 4/30/2010)
Final Price: $1.32/each

This post contains some affiliate coupon links. Read Chief Family Officer's full disclosure/disclaimer.

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The Drugstore Game This Week: Starter Walgreens Transactions 3/14 - 3/20/10

If you're new to playing The Drugstore Game, these transactions should help you get started. If you don't understand the transactions, read my Drugstore Game Primer, Common Sense with Money's FAQ, and my explanation of How to Play The Drugstore Game at Walgreens.

The Colgate toothpaste is a hot Register Rewards deal, but remember that if you use an RR from the deal to pay for another toothpaste, you won't get a new RR. You'll find a list of this week's Walgreens deals here.

Transaction #1:
1 Colgate toothpaste $3.99

- 1 of the following: $1/1 Colgate Total Enamel Strength Toothpaste; $1/1 Colgate Sensitive Toothpaste; $1/1 Select Colgate Total Products from 3/7 SS

Pay: $2.99 + tax
Receive: $4 RR

Transaction #2:
2 of the following: Select Sudafed, Benadryl and Tylenol Cold $4.99
1 filler, e.g., Royal Gelatin 20 cents with in-ad coupon

- 2 of the following: $2/1 Tylenol Cold Product; $2/1 Sudafed Triple Action or PE Triple Action
- $4 RR from previous transaction

Pay: $2.18 + tax
Receive: $5 RR

You can roll the $5 RR back into the Colgate deal and keep going . . .

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Morning Coffee: Don't Forget About Daylight Savings

It's hard losing an hour of sleep, but I do enjoy the extra sunlight in the evening. Don't forget to set your clocks, though - or you might be an hour late to a party (not that that's ever happened to me).

Get a printable coupon for $1.50/1 Oscar Mayer Bacon (registration required). That should make a super deal when combined with a good sale. (Via Common Sense with Money.)

Get 5 free points at Disney Movie Rewards with code FM39V03SSW. (Via My Good Cents.)

There are some printable coupons at Right at Home, including $1/1 any Windex product, 55 cents/1 Drano, and $3/1 Glade Sense & Spray start kit.

Get a printable coupon for 75 cents/1 Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Plus bread. This is a new product that may not be available in all areas.

Money Saving Mom reports that the printable coupon for $1.50/1 Kashi Heart to Heart has reset. You may be able to get a good deal by pairing them with the Buy 2, Get 1 Free printable manufacturer's coupons on the Target web site.

The Buy 5, Save $5 deal at Safeway stores is pretty amazing. There's lots of free cereal and fruit snacks. I bought 5 Betty Crocker fruit snacks at $2 each, and $5 came off instantly. I used two 50 cents/1 coupon from the 3/7 SS, one of which doubled, and got a $3.50 Catalina for my next purchase for buying 5 fruit snacks, making them FREE (you get lesser Catalinas when you buy 3 or 4). Get more details at Moneywise Moms and The Bargain Jargon (which has a new domain but no tags, as far as I can tell).

Click on the banner to get printable coupons at Red Plum, which currently has high value coupons for a bunch of DVDs, including New Moon, and a $1/2 Kellogg's cereal. Banner via Logical Media

Walgreens this week: 3/14 - 3/20/10

I am very excited about the free Colgate at Walgreens this week, because I'm running low on the sensitive variety. You can find a full roundup of this week's deals at Common Sense with Money (thanks, Mercedes!). I've listed the deals that I think are the best for playing The Drugstore Game this week (starter scenarios to come later), as well as the prices that are rock-bottom in my price book.

Colgate Toothpaste, Total Advanced, Enamel, sensitive $3.99, Earn a $3.99 when you buy one
Use $1/1 Colgate Total Enamel Strength Toothpaste printable
Use $1/1 Colgate Sensitive Toothpaste printable
Use $1/1 Select Colgate Total Products, exp. 3-27-10 (SS 03/07/10)
Free plus $1 in overage after coupon and register rewards

Buy $20 in participating Banana Boat, Hawaiian Tropic products ($6.99), Get a $8 RR back, Buy $15 get $5 back
Use $1/1 Hawaiian Tropic Sun Care Product printable

Deal Idea
Buy three Hawaiian Tropic products $20.97
Use three $1/1 printable coupons
Pay $3.32 each after coupons and register reward

Buy $10 in participating products and Earn a $3 RR
Neosporin cream, ointment or spray $4
Band Aid bandages $3
Benadryl cream or ready mist $4

Deal idea
Buy two Band Aid products $6
Buy one Nesporin product $4
Use $3/2 Neosporin Product and Bandaid Product, exp. 3-31-10 (SS 02/21/10)
Use $1/1 Band-Aid Brand Product, exp. 3-31-10 (RP #2 1/3/10)
Use $2/1 Neosporin and Bandaid from Children’s activity book
Free after coupons and RR

Buy two participating products and earn a $5 RR
Select Sudafed, Benadryl and Tylenol Cold $4.99
Zyrtec children $9.99
Zyrtec 12-14ct $12.99
Use $3/2 Tylenol Cold, Sinus, Sudafed PE or OM, exp. 4-3 (RP #2 1/3/10)
Use $2/1 Tylenol Cold Product printable
Use $2/1 Sudafed Triple Action or PE Triple Action printable
Use $2/1 Zyrtec Product printable (IE) or printable (FF)
Pay as low as $0.99 for two products after coupon and RR

Soft Scrub Products $2.99
Use B1G1 Soft Scrub Cleanser Product printable
Use $1.50/1 Soft Scrub Total Product printable
Use $1.50/1 Select Soft Scrub Total Products, exp. 4-11-10 (RP 03/07/10)
Pay as low as $1.49 for two

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Morning Coffee: The Drugstore Game has a new home

A new home page, that is. I wanted to make it easy to find information related to The Drugstore Game, so I created a page here at CFO devoted just to that. Check out The Drugstore Game page, and let me know if you think there's something I should add.

Today's Ebates Daily Double store is Toys R Us, which is giving 2% cash back (instead of the usual 1%). It looks like they have quite a few sales going on, and I don't know about your store, but ours never seem to have much in stock. To learn more about Ebates, read my original review. If you sign up through my referral link, we'll both get a bonus when you make your first purchase within 30 days!

Get a coupon for free guacamole at El Torito (Mexican restaurant here in California) when you sign up to receive promotional emails. I received a registration confirmation email, and within 30 minutes of clicking on that, I received an an email with a printable coupon for the free guac (expires in 30 days from the date it was sent).

Get a sneak peek at tomorrow's Staples ad.

Hyvee customers can print a coupon for a free bottle of Upbeat Milk. (Seriously, that's what it's called.)

Bargain Briana has this week's Marsh deals.

Get a sneak peek at tomorrow's Meijer ad.

Get a printable coupon for 75 cents/1 Butterball Ground Turkey. (Via Printable Coupons and Deals.)

Get a printable coupon for $1/1 Rayovac Alkaline Batteries at Facebook. There are often 2-packs for $1 in the Dollar Spot at Target (50 cents when they're on clearance!).


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CSPC Safety Alerts: Slings & More Cadmium Jewelry

The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued new warnings this week to parents.

The first calls attention to some children's jewelry that contains high levels of cadmium. I think these items were mentioned in the articles that first raised the issue of the danger of cadmium in children's jewelry (discussed by me here). Here's the official warning:

CPSC Issues Warning on Children’s Winter and Holiday-Themed Charm Bracelets with High Levels of Cadmium

The press release includes photos of the charms, although at this point, it's definitely good practice to heed the CPSC's previous warning to remove all jewelry marketed to children.

The second warning came today, and cautions parents to be extra careful when using slings with infants because of a suffocation risk. At least 14 babies have died while in slings since 1998, so their concern is legitimate. They recommend that you make sure that your infant’s face is visible to you at all times. Here's the official warning:

Infant Deaths Prompt CPSC Warning About Sling Carriers for Babies

It's been a while since I've worn a baby, but I used to wear Tyler all the time in a mei tai and I remember constantly checking to make sure his nose was unobstructed and that he was breathing. I'm a huge proponent of baby carriers, and I could not have made it through Tyler's first year without one, since my kids are so close in age that it was crucial to have my hands free. But as with anything, they need to be used correctly. I found the babywearing board at Babycenter to be extremely helpful back then.

An Artisan Bread Update That’s Way Overdue

It’s been over two months since I made my first loaf of artisan bread using the method described in my favorite cookbook of all time, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.It’s the best Christmas gift ever, and I get giddy when I try something new and it works.

Earlier this week, I made fresh pita! I used the olive oil bread recipe in the book, and it was so much fun. It was like magic, rolling out the dough into 1/8-inch thick circles, popping them into the toaster oven, and watching them puff up! I couldn’t believe it actually worked. They tasted just okay, not spectacular, but I’m definitely going to try again. Did I mention it was like magic? (Read the authors' instructions.)

Also, the brioche dough makes fabulous cinnamon raisin bread. I love that the brioche dough can be frozen in one-pound balls, so I can make cinnamon raisin bread almost any time. It’s one of the kids’ most favorite things to eat, and it’s incredibly easy. Here’s the recipe for their brioche dough and cinnamon swirl bread. (I just added a couple handfuls of raisins to the latter.)

If you haven’t gotten the book yet, the authors posted their Master Recipe recently. You may want to watch this video, which shows how to shape a loaf.

These pizza rolls are now a lunch box staple, and I always have some in my freezer. The boys’ preschool will warm these up for lunch, but I’m trying to think of how I can make them portable for kindergarten. Maybe a shallow, wide-mouth thermos.

Lastly, but definitely not least, I’ve come to love the refrigerator rise, which is a working mom’s best trick. Shape the dough in the morning on parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap, and leave it in the fridge. When you get home, preheat the oven, and bake as normal. Fresh bread really is the bomb!

Disclosure: I'm an Amazon affiliate, so any purchase you make after entering Amazon through a link on Chief Family Officer supports this site at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Morning Coffee: It's Mega Swag Bucks Friday

Today is Mega Swag Bucks Day, which means you have an increased chance of winning big Swag Bucks. Learn why Swag Bucks is my favorite way to earn free money. Disclosure: If you join Swag Bucks using my referral link, I'll get bonus Swag Bucks, so thank you if you do!

Walgreens sent out an email with a preview for next week's ad. There's actually a Register Rewards deal for sunscreen, which makes me feel like summer is just around the corner.

Today's Ebates Daily Double store is Crocs, which is giving 10% cash back (instead of the usual 4%). You can get free shipping on any order with code GETROCKIN. To learn more about Ebates, read my original review. If you sign up through my referral link, we'll both get a bonus when you make your first purchase within 30 days!

Today's Amazon Friday Saleis uber lame, but I had to point out the Bacon Flavored Lip Balm.And like last week, the Friday sale includes Huggies Cleanteam Wipesat $33.99 for 16 42-count tubs. It's also eligible for a 15% Subscribe & Save discount,which takes off another $5.10, and makes each tub $1.81. That's pretty comparable to Target's price after coupon and tax, at least around here. Disclosure: I'm an Amazon affiliate, so any purchase you make after entering Amazon through a link on Chief Family Officer supports this site at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Get a printable coupon for $1/1 Jamba Juice All-Fruit smoothie. When the boys aren't feeling well, they'll drink some Strawberry Whirl even if they refuse to eat/drink anything else, so we're pretty fond of Jamba Juice :)

Centsible Savings is giving away a month's worth of coupon inserts. Ends today.

The coupons at Snackpicks appear to have reset, so you may want to try printing them again. They include $1/1 Cheesecake Middles, which makes for free cookies at Albertsons this week with a doubler.

There are printable coupons for $1/2 Contessa selected products, which may go well with the Frozen Food Promo at Safeway stores this week. (Via Printable Coupons and Deals.)

Fabulessly Frugal has this week's Smith's deals.

Some regions are seeing a $1/1 McCormick's spice, herb, extract or food color coupon at Coupons.com. I'm not, however. But if you can print it, it should make for some really cheap seasoning. Links via Escalate Media Affiliate Network

Stretching a Buck has this week's Giant Eagle deals.


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